The Failure of Science (A Novelization of a Theoretical Half-Life 3)
by RRS-15
Summary: Gordon Freeman is tired. So very tired. But he has to keep going. Only two things matter now. Alex not falling into His clutches, and him saving the world. Will work on Alyx and Gordon's relationship and how they deal with Eli Vance's death. Surprise characters included! Rated T for language, violence, and slight sexual content.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N. A few things. First, this is my first story here, so I apologize beforehand for any grammatical errors and/or spacing issues. Also, please review. I would appreciate any and all criticism and comments, because without them it would be much harder finding the errors of my writing. Also, disclaimer 2, I'm only an average writer, so please tell me how to improve this story. Finally, please read and enjoy the adventures of Gordon Freeman!**

 **-RRS-15**

 ***A disclaimer. I do not own Half Life or anything related to the game. If I did I would use this as the plot for the game and release the game.**

 **The Failure Of Science (A Novelization of a Theoretical Half-Life 3)**

 **Prologue**

He felt pain. Not just physical pain (which he was feeling plenty of, thank you very much), but a tearing of his heart that felt physical, but was probably emotional. Though Gordon Freeman, P.H.d in theoretical physics, destroyer of alien invaders, and all-round science geek, wasn't so sure.

He felt himself begin sliding towards unconsciousness after falling to the floor and cracking his skull against a crate (stupid giant telekinetic alien grubs). As his vision grew darker every second, he could only make out a few details. Alyx Vance, his one and only crush that had developed into real feelings after all they had gone through together, crying over the body of his long-time friend Eli Vance. Gordon felt as if there was an empty hole opening in his chest, as he came closer and closer to passing out.

Suddenly, the world around him paused, then turned grey. Gordon shuddered, as He appeared in front of his vision, white and grey with the dead eyes. Gordon then heard the Voice.

Doctor Freema-.

He paused, and then turned around. He showed nothing except a small jerking back of his shoulders. Gordon started, for he had never heard Him stop in surprise. Then, his eyes widened. He could still hear Alyx crying.

Everything else around them had paused, His face superimposed over Gordon's vision, turning around to look at Alyx (who was still crying) with interest. _Interest, confusion, or surprise?_ Gordon thought to himself. _Or anger._ He turned and looked back at Gordon, annoyance written all over His face. Gordon tried to draw back, startled. The most emotion He had ever shown was when the Vortigaunts teleported him out of His clutches. He had been pissed off, to say the least.

Oh, THIS won't do at all, He snarled with a surprising amount of venom. Good DAY, Mister Freeman. He wrenched his tie to the middle of that stupid suit, and with a flash of light, He vanished.

Gordon blinked and saw Alyx still crying. _How?_ Gordon wondered as black spots flickered across his vision. _Alyx wasn't frozen like last time; she was moving just now, how? Is it because the Vortigaunts wove our lives together?_ _She didn't seem to notice him, maybe because-_

He suddenly stopped thinking because he realized Alyx was still crying, and suddenly he felt his heart twist again. _She needs my help,_ Gordon thought, trying to stand up with no success.

 _Come on, GET UP!_ He snarled to himself, as his vision grew dimmer and dimmer. He struggled to his feet, only faintly aware of several details in the background. For example, something warm and wet running down the side of his head, accompanied by a headache, which seemed to be caused by a jackhammer against the source of the liquid. There was also faint shouting in the distance, as well as someone attempting to pull at Gordon. He ignored it, because only Alyx mattered at the moment.

Gordon staggered toward her, nearly falling several times, but all the while getting closer . Finally, he toward her; well, collapsing really, his HEV suit clanging and informing him of all his injuries. As he was fading away, he tried to do something. Reaching his hand toward her (she had still not noticed), he tried to do something he hadn't done in twenty years her time, a week of his time. Rusty and rough from disuse and lack of water, it was more a whispery croak than a word. But it worked.

"Alyx," Gordon rasped, and gave in to the darkness.

As his vision turned to black he saw Alyx turn her head toward him, cheeks red and wet with tears, and a deep grief in her eyes. It was the last thing he saw before he left the light.

 **A/N. Again, please review and I hope you enjoyed!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N So hi again! This is chapter 2, and thank you OctaviousCorvi and Jee Zed of Mars for the kind reviews! Also, upload schedule. I'll try to upload at least once a month, but I know that doesn't always work out, especially once school starts, so I apologize beforehand. I hope I can get this done in that timeframe, but stuff can come up, as you guys probably know firsthand. Anyway, I hope you enjoy and as always, best wishes!-RRS-15**

 **Chapter 2**

Gordon Freeman awoke to anxious murmurs from his left. _Ow, that really hurts. What did I do now? Did Barney drop a coffee cup on me again? I swear, when I see him again I'll_ -He suddenly realized that he was in a small room on a bed, and the memories flooded in, like a dam had been broken. And that was just how he felt. Broken. Gordon opened his eyes to see himself in bed, out of the H.E.V. suit. The thing he had grown to love and hate. It wasn't the only thing to receive such treatment; his crowbar was also simultaneously loved and hated. It represented his safety. And his murderous instincts.

Gordon tried to turn his head but was not able to do so, due to a surprising amount of bandages on his head and neck. His heart crawled to his throat, his eyes frantically looking for a weapon, something. _That goddamn citadel track coffin_. Surprisingly, Gordon had a sense of claustrophobia, but was fine with the suit and air vents. Mainly because he could still move in those. Maybe his fear was immobility. Lack of control.

"Gordon, you're awake!" Gordon looked as far as he could. His mentor and friend, Issac Kliener, stood next to his bed, red faced and trembling.

"Oh thank god! The doctor said you would be fine, but I wasn't entirely sure, considering the circumstances." A long, drawn out scream made both physicists flinch. It was a scream of pain. Nothing else. Well, maybe anger. And grief. And despair. Also loss, don't forget loss. Kliener sighed. Gordon saw how frayed his nerves were. The scientist's eyes were red and still a little wet, the remainder of a hasty swipe with a sleeve.

"It seems I must assist Alyx. I wished to do that, being her-well-uncle, for lack of a better term, but you were being brought to the medical hall, and I thought Alyx was soon to follow. He put his face in his hands, shaking his head, his voice trembling not so slightly.

"It appears Alyx wished to be alone." Another scream erupted, causing the two of them to flinch again. Gordon looked toward the door, with one thought in mind. _I need to help Alyx._ Gordon started getting up. Kliener saw the movement and rushed toward Gordon, attempting to push him down.

"GORDON! SIT DOWN!" Kliener yelled. Gordon paused, too startled to move. He had never known his teacher to raise his voice, even when he was extremely agitated. Kliener took a shaky breath, obviously upset.

"Gordon, you need to rest." Gordon opened his mouth, but Kliener interrupted, exclaiming,

"Gordon, you have been in the hazard suit for far too long. No human body is supposed to be exposed to those chemicals for an extended period of time, and your body needs to heal naturally, and recover from overexposure to morphine!" Gordon wasn't listening; he was still trying to get up. Kliener started shouting again.

"GORDON FREEMAN! If you do not lie down and rest, I will restrain you if I must!" Gordon stopped, seeing the desperate look in Kliener's eyes. A deep sense of understanding and shame wound itself around Gordon's heart. Kliener was worried about him, and he was still trying to come to terms with Eli's death. Even before the Event, Eli and Issac had been close friends, both looking toward the future of science. And now Eli was dead. _Oh God_. Kliener was trying to stop the same from happening to him. Kliener was trying to compose himself while Gordon was thinking, and soon straightened up, looking him dead in the eye.

"Now, Gordon. Will you let yourself recover, or will I have to do this?" Gordon shook his head, struggling not to become too upset. Another scream of pain and loss was heard, and Gordon looked toward the door. _I want to help, but I think Dr. Kliener would follow through, as hard as it is to believe_. Kliener nodded, and strode toward the door. As he got in the doorframe, he paused and turned around.

"Gordon...we'll talk about this when you are better." He turned and left, closing the door behind him. The One Free Man groaned and leaned back, conscious of his aching head. _Maybe some sleep will help. My head is killing me._ But sleep was everything but helpful.

 _He knew he was being watched. He had been for some time, at least a week before the Resonance Cascade. Gordon knew that whatever he said could possibly be used against him, so he found excuses to stop speaking._

 _I'm one of the few people to say I have literally been to Hell and back._

 _The Vortigaunts-friends-or foes? Probably both._

 _Crawling through so many air ducts. Jumping across floating platforms in Xen. Murdering so many people; military, Combine, Vortigaunts. Staring Death in the face; no, that's an Advisor-_

 _"_ Tell me, Dr. Freeman, if you can. You have destroyed so much. What is it, exactly, that you have created? Can you name even one thing? I thought not."

 _The mines-those cursed Headcrabs-_

 _So much pain._

 _So much death._

 _So much suffering._

 _All because of me._

 _I caused this-_

 _I did this-_

 _That infernal H.E.C.U. chatter-it sounds completely alien-even more so than the actual aliens-_

 _Him-He has taken away my world-put me through this-put the WORLD through this-_

 _Twenty years in stasis- the Combine have taken over-_

 _Fighting off hordes of zombies in Ravenholm(The first true hell on Earth)-_

 _The Geiger-Counter-ticking away my life-its a wonder I'm not dead-maybe I'm already dead_

 _Alyx-_

 _She's dying-_

 _The hunter-_

 _I can't do anything-_

 _Eli- the Advisor- I'm going to lose them both- some of the few people I care about-_

NO

NONONONONONO!

"Freeman, wake up! Wake up!"

AAUGHHH!

He bolted up, drenched in sweat. Arne Magnusson swore as he jumped and slammed his head against the doorframe.

"Dr. Freeman, the funeral is happening in an hour and you must be there," in an affronted tone as he rubbed the top of his skull. Gordon nodded, blinking both his drowsiness and memories away. The drowsiness was easy; when he looked at Magnusson he said,

"You were asleep for three days. How long have you been running around killing people? You'll kill yourself at this rate, which won't do us any good." Gordon nodded again, trying to forget the aliens and the Combine and Him. Magnusson turned to face the door, then stopped. He fidgeted for a moment; it looked like he was struggling to say something. Then he turned back and said, with his usually stern and arrogant demeanor softening,

"It's hard. I know it is." Gordon looked up again.

"Eli was a good man. And a good friend." Magnusson looked at him again, with something that resembled sympathy. Then his brusque demeanor returned and he said,

"Clean up and take a shower. We're a bit short on suits so you'll have to wear your Mark V HEV Suit. We had it washed and fixed while you were asleep. Oh, and one more thing," Magnusson added, as he was halfway out of the doorway,

"You won't be needing your weapons. You're pry bar will suffice, but that's only if we are attacked." He closed the door behind him. Gordon felt amusement as he heard distant yelling from his door; something about someone's uniform, it sounded. Gordon chuckled, then his grin faded as he remembered he had to get ready _. Eli_

 **A/N This entire chapter was a bit difficult to write, especially the dream sequence. I wanted to show how Gordon was affected by the entire world changing, and how he believes he is responsible. I think he would have some form of PTSD from killing aliens and negotiating with a creepy time-warper. So, if any of this felt or sounded wrong, please review and let me know so I won't make the same mistakes in future chapters. Again, I hope you enjoyed and as always, best wishes!**

 **-RRS-15**

 **P.S. I was about to upload this last night, but the entire chapter became corrupted, and I forgot to save, so please review in honor of 2.5 lost hours of deleting random garbage.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N So, first of all, huge, HUGE thank you to Soul33, Marcoufa, TripleF, Devoed1218, and moonlaz for the reviews, favorites, and follows! I honestly thought only one or two people might see this story and be interested, so thank you all for the support! Also, for those of you who don't know, Valve has revealed a new game. It is a Dota card game (Only slightly salty about that, ONLY SLIGHTLY SALTY). Also, Marc Laidlaw, former lead writer of the HL series, recently released the unofficial HL3 plot. I personally don't like it, but then again, its better than anything Valve had to say about it *cough*cough Artifact *cough. While it makes sense, it** **doesn't feel like the ending such an amazing series deserves, which is why I'll keep uploading chapters to this story. Anyway, please enjoy, and as always, best wishes!**

 **-RRS-15**

Chapter 3

 _Alyx_

It was always a sunny day when something terrible happened. The 7 Hour War, the Combine takeover, getting stabbed by that stupid Hunter (she could still feel the slightly raised scars prickling her dress), Gordon about to be killed by an Advisor… and today. The funeral. Alyx closed her eyes and silently sobbed. _Dad, why now? Why when I need you the most._ She opened her eyes to see how her life would change forever.

All non-essential Resistance and Vortigaunts were attending. The sentries and the tech would pay their respects afterward, once their replacements had taken over. There was only one priest there to perform any ceremonies, and he only remembered what to say at a funeral, nothing else. Most of the Resistance wore their everyday clothes, but all cleaned up. Alyx was wearing a black veiled dress someone had made for her years ago. Alyx looked up and saw the coffin being slowly borne across the rocky ground, the carriers desperately trying to balance the heavy box without falling. She saw Dr. Kliener and Dr. Magnusson leading after the coffin, along with Barney. His train had also crashed and he had shown up a day ago with a small group of refugees, looking worse for wear, but with a strained smile on his face. He had, well, reacted negatively at the bad news, and she could still see bruises marking his knuckles.

Then her heart twisted when she saw Gordon. He looked like hell. He was wearing his HEV suit, but it had been cleaned of the blood and gore while he was recovering. Gordon had even found an old razor and trimmed his beard. But his eyes… They looked similar to how he looked when Alyx was about to be killed by an Advisor. Grief-stricken, dead eyed, as well as a slow, slightly staggering walk. Alyx stepped in next to him as they continued toward the cemetery. The Resistance had created a graveyard for all fallen Resistance members they could find. If the body could not be recovered, their name was inscribed on a cement wall, similar to the decades old Vietnam Memorial her father had told her about. She wondered what would become of her. Alyx and her father had sometimes discussed what she would do, if he- _no, don't go there._

The coffin soon reached the grave, and Gordon was asked to help lower the coffin. He didn't say anything (as usual), but just picked up a rope and started lowering it in. _Dad, why did this happen?_ _It's not fair! He didn't deserve to die._ As she looked, she felt water falling off her cheek. It wasn't raining. She didn't notice Gordon or anyone else, just a watery blur clouding her vision. She roughly wiped it away. Alyx was a very controlled person usually, and rarely let people see her true anxieties or fears. It was what the Resistance expected a leader to do. Her father talked to her about it sometimes, how leaders were expected to act a certain way, all the time. She had even noticed it in Gordon sometimes, how most of the time he kept his face a blank slate, especially around Resistance members. _Everyone expects him to be their savior, and his silence might be all that keeps people from seeing him differently._ She now understood his ever-present composure, because it wouldn't be good to let the Resistance see her anger or grief, or any other emotion. She still felt those emotions struggling for control, but there was also a sense of emptiness, a sort of grey area where quiet sadness lingered. It was how she felt whenever she thought of her mother, or when she heard that familiar Resistance members had been killed. It didn't hurt, it just sort of Existed, and it felt like it would never go away. While she was thinking, people started coming up to her and giving her their condolences. It just seemed like an endless blur of,

"I'm sorry for you" and,

"Eli was a good man."

Finally, it was just herself and Gordon. She sank to her knees. Suddenly a wave of anger rolled over her like a flood. _It's not fair! Why did the goddamn Combine need to invade us! There was no goddamn reason!_ She struggled against screaming in anger again, looking at the small rock that was her father's headstone. _All that's left: a rock, a group of struggling rebels, and me._ It seemed like there would be nothing left of her father but her memories. _I love you Dad. I swear I will destroy the bastards that did this._ Alyx stood up and walked to stand next to Doctor Kliener. Gordon then walked over to the fresh mound of dirt, slowly, as if he didn't want to. Alyx watched as Gordon dropped to one knee and then. He whispered something.

"Goodbye, Eli." Alyx's mouth dropped open, and for a moment her grief was interrupted by amazement. Those were the first words she had heard him say ever. Or maybe not. _I thought I was imagining Gordon speak. I guess he did._ It was hard to remember what happened after D0g drove off the Advisors, besides an endless torrent of anger and grief. She looked over and saw Dr. Kliener and Dr. Magnusson looking startled. By then Gordon had already walked back over to stand next to her. She looked over at him with a look of confusion. He shook his head slightly. _Later_ , his eyes seemed to say. She mutely nodded and stared straight ahead, trying to compose herself.

Dr. Magnusson walked forward in front of the grave, cleared his throat several times, and started saying,

"In honor of the celebrated Eli Vance, the one who founded and lead Black Mesa-" he choked, coughed, and spoke again, his voice trembling slightly. Alyx couldn't tell if it was from anger or grief. _Probably anger, knowing_ himshe thought.

"-Lead Black-" he stopped again, and just stood there completely still. Without warning Dr. Magnusson swiveled around as if on a pole and stormed off toward the base, swearing viciously the entire way. Only Alyx and perhaps Gordon and Dr. Kliener heard his voice trembling most unusually. No one moved, too shocked that the great and feared Magnusson just left. Uriah instead stuttered forward a few steps, looking around as if for permission, then took Dr. Magnusson's place and quietly spoke,

"The Eli Vance was one of the few humans who bargained with us after the Freeman released us from the Nihilanth. He sought for peace between our races, and we know now that while the Eli Vance has been sent to the Void, we shall all remember him until the day we too enter the Void." Everyone assembled nodded or affirmed the Vortigaunt's words.

"Soon, this planet shall be freed from the Combine, and we shall rejoice, for we will not live in fear! The Eli Vance shall not have gone on in vain!" At this, all the humans cheered, and the Vortigaunts yelled in their native tongue. Alyx closed her eyes and wished they would just get it over with. Opening her eyes to look up at the mountains, Alyx noticed how much snow there was. _Dad always wanted to go exploring there._ She nearly started crying again, because this was another thing her father would never get to do.

A quiet click grabbed her attention. She looked over to see Gordon unholstering his gun. She turned to look in the direction he was looking. _I don't see anything, what is he…_ She suddenly noticed something out of the corner of her eye. There was a slight movement in the forest, some bushes trembling. Gordon completely pulled out his gun, shoving the safety off. Just as the cheering died down, a figure wearing a torn and bloodstained U.S. military camouflage uniform with a gas mask bolted to the hip stumbled out of the woods, and upon seeing everyone, the figure muttered in a rough and scratchy voice, "Right where He said you would be," at which point he promptly collapsed.

 **A/N I told you there would be some surprise characters! Yes, I know I left off on a cliffhanger, sue me. Also, upload** **schedule has changed. I'll try to push out new chapters every two weeks, but I should warn you, I probably won't be able to always stick to this schedule. So, apologizes in advance. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, please leave a review, and as always, best wishes!**

 **-RRS-15**

 **P.S. If you really like HL fanfics, please consider reading KRSONMar's stories, which are really good and give unique insights to Gordon and Alyx's relationships.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N So, here's the fourth chapter. Not really anything to add, and I think you already know who the main character POV for this chapter is. Also, more surprise characters included! I didn't want to stop with him, but I think you will all be** **pleasantly surprised with who I want to add in as well as bring back. Anyway, please review and enjoy. Best wishes!**

 **RRS-15**

 _Adrian Shephard, Corporal in the former U.S. Marines H.E.C.U. Unit_

Upon awaking, the young corporal instantly analyzed the unfamiliar room, the way he had been trained. _Small, six by seven foot room. Thick iron bars in the window, small and bulletproof. Steel door. Locked on both sides_. Adrian sat up and took inventory. He still had his gas mask, thankfully. No weapons on him though. He had taken everything, the creepy g-man who whispered and lurked in strange places. His instinctive clock told him it had been about a half hour since he had collapsed. It had surprised him to hear yelling, as well as the growls of the electric aliens he had fought in Black Mesa. He still didn't know whether or not to trust the patched, bloody, and scared rebels, or at least, they looked like rebels. He had fought with similar people in Iraq, the short time he had been there. Adrian remembered that He had said he could trust them, but the young Corporal didn't trust Him at all. Suddenly he heard the door open at the other end of what he assumed was a hallway. He heard footsteps walking quickly toward his cell. Adrian's training kicked in and he tensed, ready if the visitor might be hostile. The lock in the door rattled, then slowly creaked open.

In the doorway stood a tall, middle-aged man with a graying beard in some sort of advanced military suit, holding a rifle. Shepherd noticed the man's right knuckles were split, and stained with blood. He slowly moved away, trying to predict what was about to happen. The man adjusted something on his belt, and then said,

"Ok, we couldn't detect any cybernetics, so you're not Combine, but who are you and how the hell did you get here?" Adrian paused. _The g-man probably doesn't want people to know about his 'arrangement' with me._ As he was considering, the man sharply spoke,

"I'll know if you're lying. I've done this before, so you can't fool me." Adrian sharply turned his head to look the rebel dead in the eye. The leader's head tilted slightly, considering him.

"How do I know to trust you? You seem to be allied with those monsters!" Adrian coughed out, his voice still sore and broken from the cold he had during his stay at Black Mesa. The rebel looked at him more closely and said,

"You're really out of the loop, aren't you." Adrian shook his head, more confused than ever. _No one would willingly side with those electric aliens._ Then he paused. _Unless a greater evil has replaced them._ The man coughed and spoke again, more gently.

"Listen, we're on the same side. If you want an enemy, try the Combine." He said it in two syllables, like it was a title worthy of respect. The man grinned slightly and said,

"Ok, I think Gordon wants to see you, and I think I can trust you. I just need to know your name." Adrian started. _Was he talking about Freeman? The one I was assigned to kill at Black Mesa?_ Adrian nodded mutely and rasped out,

"Corporal Adrian Shephard." The man's eyes narrowed and his hand moved seemingly of its own accord to his rifle. _Wait wait wait, what did I do wrong?!_ Adrian held up his hands carefully, and coughed out,

"You've heard me before. Where?" Adrian Shephard saw as the stranger paused his hand, but didn't move it away. He grunted out,

"You were one of the military soldiers who got left behind at Black Mesa. Your*cough-cough*friends- were talking about you while they were dumping some bodies in a river." Shephard paused, then slowly said,

"Ok, but that's not my fault. I never killed any scientists, only the aliens and black ops. And who are you?" The man grunted, shrugged, and said,

"Barney Calhoun. Former security guard at Black Mesa." Calhoun raised his hand. Shephard also lifted his hand and they shook. Barney then glanced behind him and half-shouted,

"Gordon! Do you want to see him?" Shephard stiffened. A figure wearing some sort of orange hazard suit strode into the cell. As they looked at each other, a flash of recognition ran between them.

 _Gordon Freeman_

"I'll be right outside if you need anything," Barney said. Gordon smiled slightly inside. He knew that even if every Resistance member was a mole, he could trust Barney. Barney walked through the door and locked it. Freeman and Shephard, scientist and soldier, stood there for a minute, staring at each other. Then Shephard broke the silence and said,

"Do know me?" Gordon raised an eyebrow and simply rasped out,

"Yes." Shephard flinched and moved away as he continued, "You were one of the Marines assigned to kill me. You were just about to catch me as I jumped into the portal to Xen. Luckily I looked back. Might have been my last view of this world." Shephard shook his head, probably wondering how he knew so much. _Might want to check how he got here_. Gordon then coughed and said,

"How did you get into White Forest?" Shephard looked at the wall for a long moment and didn't say anything. Gordon already knew; he just wanted to see what Shephard would do. Gordon then slowly said,

"He brought you here, didn't He?" Shephard didn't look up, his hands were clenching into fists.

"I didn't want it." He whispered. "I had no choice. After I killed the Gene Worm, that damned g-man brought me to another world, Black Mesa, other places, all on an Osprey. The next thing I know, I'm in that forest where He tells me I was "on hold" for twenty years, aliens called the Combine had taken over, rebel groups destroyed their portal here, and that I was to accompany you on a mission-something to do with same-universe teleportation. Do you know what that means?" Gordon inwardly groaned. _The last time I did something for him, Eli died._ Prepare for unforeseen consequences. _Eli knew He would retaliate, but why? He seems both helpful and harmful to the Resistance. He kills Eli for sending the rocket that closed the portal, but lets me take out Breen and hundreds of Combine. Why can't I understand His motives?!_

"Um, Mr. Freeman? Doctor? He also told me to tell you, and I quote, 'Tell Doctor Freeman, if he refuses to let you accompany him and my other...employee, they must be prepared to deal with the consequences, foreseen and unforeseen.'" Gordon shuddered. _The last time he said that…_ Gordon grimaced and looked the young corporal dead in the eye.

"Can I trust you?" Shephard hesitated only briefly, and then simply said,

"Yes." Then he paused, and a small smile broke out. "Sir." Gordon smiled faintly in return, the first in a while, and knocked on the door. Barney opened it, and Gordon strode out. Barney began,

"Well, what do we-" Gordon interrupted and said,

"He's coming with us." Barney froze. Those were the second pair of words he had heard Gordon ever say in a long time. Then he shook his head slightly and said,

"Where, Gordon?" Gordon looked at him grimly and rasped,

"The Borealis."

 **A/N So, finally! We are off to the** **Arctic in the next chapter! I decided Shephard would speak because I thought he would be similar in personality to Barney. My reason for him not speaking in Black Mesa, if you didn't notice, is because he had a severe cold, which made him lose his voice. I know, not perfect, but to me it sounds more logical than anything else I've thought of. Two more notes. One, I'll try again to upload in two weeks, but again, with school, I don't know if I'll be able to make time, so I apologize in advance. Two, if you are a hard-core Half Life fan, you might be able to guess which character I'm bringing back. I'll give you a clue. He is believed to be dead. If you guess it, mention it in a review! Finally, again, please review, and I hope you enjoyed chapter four! Best wishes!**

 **-RRS-15**


	5. Chapter 5

Gordon Freeman

There was only whiteness. Not exactly; as there was small splashes of dark color dotting the landscape as far as the eye could see. The small clusters of trees, for example. A big frozen lake, gleaming in the sunlight. The random rock or two, poking out like moles. And of course, the grey Resistance helicopter as it screamed over the frigid arctic wasteland. _This is proof_ , Gordon Freeman thought, _that nothing is exactly perfect_. There was near perfect, like the Arctic landscape they were flying above. Then there was both perfect and chaotic, like the ocean. It was hard to remember the ocean before the Resonance Cascade. Before it was drained away. Before the Invasion…Then there was just chaotic, like war. Gordon was very familiar with war. Or, at the very least, combat experience, and dealing with so many hostile aliens. And lastly, there was neither perfection nor chaos. Just a lot of nothing, everything dead, deaf, mute, numb. And that was exactly was he was feeling. Numb. That, and no small amount of nervousness, especially where Alyx was concerned.

She had not said a word to anyone in the three hours since they had left White Forest. Gordon hadn't said anything to her because he was unsure of himself. _Not the first time_ , he thought, _and certainly not the last._ He remembered when his dad had died, killed by a drunk driver. The driver had fallen into a coma and died in the hospital, so Gordon hadn't had much of a chance to feel angry towards the guy. It still left him with a feeling that something had been unfulfilled. It wasn't exactly anger, or the need for revenge, not even that he didn't talk enough to his dad. They hadn't had the best of relationships, which, Gordon thought, was so stupid thinking about it now, but they both loved each other. He wasn't sure how to talk to Alyx, for multiple reasons. He knew she would hate it if she was pitied, but he had a bad suspicion that she was angry with him. His hypothesis was soon proven.

"Gordon." He twitched and looked over at her. She was sitting a few seats down from him. Barney and Shephard were in the front of the helicopter, and Doctor Kliener was sitting in the back, rapidly shuffling through papers and muttering figures under his breathe. Gordon knew that nothing short of impending death would distract his mentor and friend, especially since it was his way of dealing with excessive stress, and turned back to look at Alyx. She looked…. unsettling. Different. She wasn't exactly hostile, but her gaze looked harder. Sterner. _Colder_ , he thought with a shudder, glancing at the barely visible frown lines starting to settle in around her eyes and mouth. _Alyx, don't become me. I've always acted old, and Barney jokes I'm an old man in a young body, but -_

Alyx Vance

"You've always been able to speak." There it was. The dull tinge of anger, resentment, of feeling betrayed. She continued, in an affronted tone,

"You spoke to him and not to me? Why? Because Gordon, I don't trust him. He shows up out of the blue half dead and he convinced you to trust him? I don't like it." Gordon shook his head, then faced Alyx, looking her dead in the eye.

"Alyx," He started. Alyx stared at him. His voice was rough, and he stuttered a little, making it a little harder to understand him. It wasn't at all what she had expected. She expected…maybe something like Doctor Kliener, bumbling and kind, perhaps too smart for his own good. But his voice was tougher than she had expected. _Well,_ she thought, _haven't we all gotten tougher?_ With a pang she realized why he looked uncomfortable. _I'm acting different. Then again, so is he…he's speaking now._ When he spoke again his words were halting and unsure.

"Alyx, I haven't spoken to you before because I have something called selective mutism. Usually when I'm stressed or anxious I physically can't speak."

"Why now then?" she replied, not caring if she sounded rude, wondering why he could speak now. He sighed.

"I'm speaking now because there are some things you need to know. First, I'm sorry. For so many things. Mainly…I caused this. And I-"

"Gordon." She interrupted. He looked up at her, startled.

"Dad…Dad always said that you were put up to the experiment. No one knew what would happen. Gordon," Her voice softened, and she reached her hand over to clasp his.

"This was not your fault. None of this was your fault. And Dad…" She shuddered, feeling as if something was about to come crawling out of her stomach. Her voice clenched, struggling not to sob, said,

"Dad was not your fault. You did everything you could." She stopped, trying not to cry. Gordon suddenly leaned over and grabbed her knee. She paused, startled. Gordon took a stuttering breath, and whispered to her,

"It wasn't your fault either," She slightly nodded, a few tears falling onto her father's vest. Her father's bloodstained vest.

"We both know who was responsible. And Alyx." He paused, looking her dead in the eye. She noticed a swirling storm of emotions flickering in his gaze.

"They will suffer. For what they have done." She nodded, her tears drying and freezing against her skin. Gordon then opened his mouth, looking unsure of what to say. Then after another minute of silence, he spoke even more haltingly than before.

"Alyx…someone else was also responsible for Eli." She brought her gaze up from her gun to stare questioningly at him. He continued, clearly hesitant.

"Alyx, your father knew about something-" Suddenly they heard Barney curse and shout,

"Hold on guys!" Without warning the helicopter suddenly banked sharply to the left. Alyx swore as she nearly fell over. Her eyes widened as she heard the telltale screech of a rocket, as it tore through the air to the right of the helicopter. _Shit._

Adrian Shephard

 _Well, this isn't going to end well._ Adrian thought as he wrestled the controls of the helicopter.

"GET DOWN!" he roared over the wind. Dr. Kliener and Alyx understood the unmistakable tone of command and dropped to the floor. He knew that these missiles couldn't be evaded forever. Barney was wrestling the controls; Gordon and Alyx were crawling into the side gunner pits.

"WHAT HAPPENED?" He shouted to Barney over the wind,

"I DON'T KNOW! WHATEVER IT WAS, IT DIDN'T SHOW UP ON RADAR!" Just then a missile hit. BOOM! The helicopter shook and dropped to a lower altitude. Smoke started to steadily pour from the engine. Adrian knew that the helicopter wasn't well made, and the armor wouldn't be able to stand any more hits. _I need to bring it down._ _Hope this works_. He peered around and, to his surprise; he could see the Resistance base in the distance. But some kind of strange and alien metal growth had taken it over, just like what happened at the Citadel, Adrian had been told. He peered more closely and saw another missile headed straight toward them. Freeman brought the gun up and started to fire desperately at the incoming explosive. _There's no targeting system!_ Adrian thought with a sense of horror. He watched as Freeman just pulled the trigger and prayed. The defensive bullets hit, but they did no damage. They only steered the missile slightly to the left. A few seconds later, it hit. The helicopter shook and almost rolled over.

"I'M GOING TO TRY TO BRING IT DOWN!" Barney yelled over the intercom. Adrian already knew this, as the helicopter was already going down. Adrian rapidly scanned the ground around them and saw a small gulley only a few hundred meters away.

"CALHOUN, OVER THERE!" Adrian shouted, pointing. Barney confirmed by pulling the control in that direction. In a few seconds, the helicopter would crash into the wall of the gulley. _I hope this works, because otherwise He won't be pleased_ , Adrian thought as he braced for impact. In the next second, the helicopter hit.

Gordon Freeman

Dr. Freeman…It has been too long. Gordon shook his head. Not now, why now, this has to be the worst time. Then again, He always chooses the wrong time. Gordon glared at Him. _You killed Eli_. I realize this may not be the best time for you, but my...employers...wished for me to rectify certain…inconveniences. He walked over to Alyx, who was clenching her fists in preparation of impact. Miss Vance is quite…unique. However, unique does not serve our purposes. We have fixed that little…snag. Suddenly Alyx flickered. To Gordon's perspective, it looked like someone had quickly unpaused and paused a video. His small and mocking smile disappeared, replaced with annoyance. For the time being. He said with a sour look on his face as he adjusted his tie. This is perhaps our last correspondence alone, so I have been…instructed to inform you of several important matters.

He walked over to the corporal. Corporal Shephard has proved himself quite…useful…to us, so he shall be aiding you in your...quest...He walked over to Doctor Kliener, who was covering his ears with a terrified look on his face. I suggest you listen to your…friend…because what you seek is of…significant importance…to my employers. He walked back over to Gordon, the twisted smile returning to his face. She has been shattered. And you shall put her back together. And with that, he vanished, a flash of white light appeared quickly and dissipated, and time returned in time for Gordon to see the helicopter falling quickly towards the frozen ground. _Who's 'She?'_ He had time to think before impact.

The helicopter crashed into the wall of the gulley. Gordon felt all his senses being bombarded; the impact shuddering through his body, the smell of fire and smoke, the crushed helicopter in his line of vision, a very familiar ringing in his ears, and the taste of blood in his mouth. Gordon held still for a few seconds, and then suddenly realized something. _Shit! The helicopter might blow up!_ He unbuckled his seat belt and crawled to the front of the helicopter, coughing from the smoke billowing from the engine. Barney was hunched over the controls, passed out. Gordon could see blood on Barney's uniform, but couldn't tell if he was alive or not. Gordon looked around and saw Alyx and Adrian also passed out. _Barney first. He's the only one who looks injured_. Gordon crawled through the smoking wreckage and grabbed Barney. After many grunts and heaving and pushing wreckage aside, Gordon managed to get Barney out of the ruined helicopter. By now Corporal Shephard had regained consciousness and was pulling Alyx out of the wreckage.

Gordon ran back and crawled back in. _Hope there are still some useable supplies left_. The only thing he found was his pistol, a transmitter, some food and water, and a med-kit. _Well, it's better than nothing_. He crawled back out and jogged back to Shephard. The Corporal was working on Barney, probably trying to find where Barney had been injured. Gordon tossed the med-kit to Shephard, who accepted it without a word. Gordon looked around, hand tight on the grip of his pistol. This habit had become common when in a new environment. Gordon didn't want to be in this area without checking for immediate dangers. The helicopter hadn't exploded, but it was still smoking. Two of the four blades had been sheared off, and the tail had bent downward. A few miles away, the Resistance base loomed in the background, towering over the landscape. The sun was setting the sky on fire in the distance as it fell towards the ground. Gordon shuddered. He felt like he had seen this before, but he couldn't figure out where. He then looked around. _I should start scouting for a place to stay the night. We can't stay in the base, the Combine have taken over. And they're going to send a search party to check the wreckage_. Gordon turned back and walked back to Shephard. Alyx was starting to stir. Gordon crouched over her, one hand on her neck. Good. She has a strong pulse. Alyx opened her eyes.

"Gordon… What happened?"

Shephard looked over and gruffly stated,

"Combine sent in a few missiles. Calhoun managed to avoid most, but it looks like he has some crush injury." Alyx groaned and rolled up. Her eye and cheekbone were bright red; they were probably going to bruise.

"We need to find some shelter. Gordon...Shephard, are either of you hurt?" Gordon shook his head. Shephard said,

"Some shrapnel, but it didn't penetrate the vest." Alyx stared at the helicopter.

"Maybe we should try to keep the fire going. It's going to be our only source of heat." Suddenly they heard a strange groaning noise. Gordon tightened his grip on his pistol. _I hope the helicopter doesn't explode. But then again, maybe it's… DR. KLIENER_! Gordon ran back to the helicopter. Dr. Kliener was dragging himself out. Gordon grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the wreckage.

"I'm sorry Gordon. It appears I passed out after the crash and didn't wake up until now. I managed to grab some of my notes before I got out." Gordon smiled on the inside as Isaac rattled on. Alyx then called to them in a worried tone.

"If you two are ok, then get over here. Dr. Kliener, Barney is hurt!" Dr. Kliener started and said,

"Oh, dear. I will go check on Barney." Gordon nodded again, smirking on the inside. _You do that, Doctor Kliener_. Dr. Kliener ran over to Barney and started checking him.

Gordon looked around again. There was something he felt they were forgetting. Suddenly they heard a loud siren coming from the base. They all started, and Dr. Kliener let out a small yelp. Alyx swore and said,

"We need to move. NOW." Shephard looked up and said in an aggravated voice,

"We can't! Calhoun can't be moved! We may have even worsened him by dragging him out of the helicopter!" She swiveled in his direction and pointed at the citadel.

"We can't stay here! We'll have to risk it!"

Gordon threw his gaze around, thinking furiously. _There must be a place to hide for now, somewhere around here._ Then he spotted it. A small, half-hidden cave entrance about 200 meters away from the helicopter. Gordon ran over to Shepherd and pointed.

"What, Freeman?" he growled. Then he took his eyes off of Barney. Gordon saw the light enter Shepherd's eyes when he spotted the cave.

"It's better than nothing," Shephard muttered, and without speaking, he and Gordon picked Barney up gently, supporting his head and spine. Gordon gave his gun to Alyx.

"I'll keep watch; Dr. Kliener, keep a lookout in front of us, make sure they don't trip and drop Barney," Alyx said to the trembling doctor. Isaac stuttered as he spoke.

"All right then, as long as we get moving. I believe I'm coming down with hypothermia."

Shephard grunted as he hefted Barney up, and said through gritted teeth,

"Think this is cold, doc? My unit once spent a tour in Northern Canada for six months during the fall and winter." Dr. Kliener harrumphed and muttered,

"I'm just stating how cold it is for those who didn't train to be a jar-head." Gordon couldn't even smirk, because Barney was so heavy and wasn't conscious enough to help them. They slowly advanced; Alyx bringing up the rear, watching the searching helicopters like a hawk, Shephard and Gordon carrying-well, dragging-Barney, and Kliener in the front, spotting rocks and slippery ice for them. It helped, but they came far too close to dropping Barney too many times. It took them nearly 10 minutes to get to the cave entrance. _I'm surprised that they didn't find us. And this cave is extremely convenient,_ Gordon thought with a frown. Then he shook his head as Dr. Kliener said,

"Here it is, right here."

Then he seemed to consider something.

"Erm, perhaps Alyx should be the first go, as she is the only one with a weapon. In fact, Shephard had his rifle the Resistance issued to him, but it was strapped to his side and he couldn't pull it free while carrying Barney. Alyx shook her head and started into the cave, clicking on a flashlight she carried on her belt. After a minute the three of them heard a faint shriek in the distance. Gordon started trembling slightly. _Hunters. I HATE Hunters,_ he thought bitterly. Shephard swore and asked in an unusually loud voice,

"What the hell was that?" Gordon couldn't help but notice the slight crack at the end of Shephard's question. They jumped as Alyx called to them in an echoing voice.

"All clear! Hurry!" Dr. Kliener glanced nervously behind him and stuttered in a trembling voice,

"Maybe it's best that we don't keep Miss Vance waiting." He took off for the cave, nearly slipping and falling in his oversized winter coat, clutching the remainder of his notes to his chest.

Shephard and Gordon glanced at each other.

"Do you know those things?" he asked. Gordon nodded.

"Well, how bad are they?" he asked. He saw his answer in Gordon's eyes.

"Figured." Shephard muttered, and started toward the cave entrance. Gordon hesitated for a moment, and then shook it off. _What choice do we have?_ He asked himself. _Well, here goes._ And he followed Shephard into the cave, nearly dropping Barney once again.

 **A/N I KNOW! I'M SORRY! For real, I am two weeks late, and I'm sorry for keeping you all waiting. School has been no fun, and I have a sneaking suspicion that it will get worse, so again, I** **apologize beforehand if I upload late a second time. Also, as an apology, here's the longest chapter yet! Yes, it isn't much, but its almost twice as long as the last chapter, so there's that. Also, if anyone is interested, I'm considering searching for a beta, so if you are interested, please PM me to explain why you want to be a beta, and so I see how you write. I can't always find errors in my writing, so I need some help polishing this for publishing. Lastly, I FINALLY have a rough idea of where this story is going, so thankfully that long-term plan is now in effect, so I should have a better idea of where to take this story, so yay! Again, thank you all for the kind reviews and follows (S/O to The Nihilanth) and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Best wishes!**

 **-RRS-15**

 **P.S. I know, yet another cliff-hanger. I always hate them, but I keep writing them in. I think I need help. Someone help me.**

 **P.P.S. Also, I happen to have zero artistic talent, and am looking for a cover art. Same rules as before apply. PM me to explain reasons. Only if you are interested. Thanks again.**


	6. Nevermore

Gordon Freeman

 _This is too good to be true,_ Gordon thought as he hefted Barney through the entrance of the cave. His orange armored boots echoed sharply throughout the cave, and from the sounds emitting from it, it extended for a long ways away. Alyx had flicked on her flashlight, and Gordon did the same, reaching down to pull the lever that turned on his suit's flashlight. The light reflecting off the ice embedded in the walls, highlighting the glistening rock and ice embedded throughout every surface of the cave. Gordon could see the tunnel widen and open into a semi-large cavern, with a frozen-over pool of ice in the center.

A chill wormed its way up Gordon's back, partly from the temperature, and partly from the uneasy feeling the cavern was giving him. A dull throbbing in the front of his head soon drew his attention. _Of all the places Alyx chose, and it's the one that most resembles the Ant-Lion colonies?_ Gordon shook his head, startled by his unexpected bout of complaining. Shephard quickly glanced at him and quietly asked,

"Freeman. You good?" Gordon bit back the sharp retort he was about to let loose, and quickly nodded, the headache abating a little. Alyx quietly motioned towards them and pointed to the next tunnel, whispering,

"We need to get moving, the Combine will be looking for us." Doctor Kliener nodded and started forward, nearly slipping again on a shiny smooth rock as he carefully moved toward the tunnel. Gordon and Shephard refastened their grip on Barney, who seemed to be breathing a little easier, probably due to the med-kit they had applied earlier. A twinge in Gordon's gut was his method for detecting danger.

But for all the times he had listened to it before subconsciously, he ignored it now. _It's probably just because I'm in a creepy cave running from an alien dictatorship, hefting an unconscious Barney._ The group marched on just as cautiously as before, not realizing that hostile eyes were watching.

?

The corrupted being knew better than to expose itself, for the insignificant ants were vicious and feral, willing to shoot anything they saw. _Pathetic_. They had no sense of caution, no ability to sense real danger. They thought the bright and flashy things were dangerous, or the dark and solid troops. _They have no idea._ The being basked in the knowledge that it was the most dangerous enemy to these idiotic "humans." _Then again, perhaps They deserve some recognition._ It snarled silently in irritation, knowing full well it's abilities were a gift from Them, despite Their obvious shortcomings. _Maggots, the lot of Them._

It suddenly realized the humans were getting further and further away. It snarled again, irritated it was slipping in its abilities. The corrupted thing shuffled its wings, feathers and metal whispering softly together. It slowly took off behind the rag-tag group, marveling at their stupidity to continue carrying one of their injured, before disappearing from sight, and reappearing in front of them, now visible yet still unseen. _Yes. That one._

It ruffled its feathers in anticipation of the now expected shouting and bright lines and bangs from the angular components of metal the humans so desperately needed to function. It loved sensing the confusion and outrage, as well as the sorrow and angry, and the fear. Oh, the sweet, delicious scent of pure terror. _Yes._ If it could smile it would have. _This will be good._

Gordon Freeman

 _Something's off, I know it is._ Gordon thought as he glanced around at the walls of the cave, his headache even worse than before. His vision was flickering; everything around him seemed to be flashing grey. It looked like the tunnel was flashing between the ant-lion colony, the ice cave, and the Xen caverns. His grip on Barney slipped and the man dropped to the ground, Shephard grunting in surprise as Gordon fell back with a groan, clutching his head. He felt himself sweating, yet the ant-lion cave was freezing. _Did…did I get another concussion? From the helicopter? And where are those damn voices coming from?_

A group of people was murmuring somewhere, barely audible. From what Gordon could hear if he strained his ears, they seemed to be whispering only one word, something he had heard before, something…Someone calling his name, but it sounded miles away, away from the thought destroying Pain that quickly consumed him. Gordon slipped to the ground, groaning, and shut his eyes, praying for the relentless assault to end, watching the light burn patterns into his eyelids as a sledgehammer lay siege to his head. Suddenly, it vanished. Nothing. No whispering voices driving him crazy, no sledgehammer into his skull, it just vanished without a trace.

Gordon hesitantly opened his eyes, wincing at the light shining into his eyes, then lunged backward with a yelp. A Combine Elite soldier stared down at him, muttering gibberish, as Gordon swiveled his head around and screamed. A burnt and charred corpse stared at him from the ground, its mouth drawn out in a silent scream of death. A running zombie stood close to the corpse, moaning unintelligibly as it stared at Gordon with its massive head and frail body. Yet the worst stood in front of him. The Stalker reached out towards him, metal arms close enough to touch, its face horribly familiar but dreadfully altered and twisted, perverted to become a literal tool and nothing else, stripped to the irrefutable core. He yelled again and scrambled up from the ground, hand naturally reaching for his crowbar.

He had faced these things before and they scared him, but now they filled him with a complete and utter terror. He couldn't think, he could barely breathe, his throat was so constricted-The Stalker reached out again, murmuring, its dead metal mask seeing nothing, yet Gordon backed up, his eyes so wide and the pupils so dilated they resembled fish eyes. The terror was overwhelming, he felt-he KNEW-he was about to die, his heart was pounding like a racehorse. He knew he was going to die, but even through the terror destroying his mind, he had one quality that would never be driven out of him. He wouldn't go down without a fight. His only regret, being his last sensible thought, was that he had never said goodbye to his family.

Adrian Shephard

He had once seen someone go bat-shit crazy after taking a shot of heroin, he later heard, when he was sixteen. The man across the street had started attacking a lamp post for no reason, eyes red and terrified, completely unreasonable, screaming the entire time, even when the police arrived. He only stopped when the police tasered him, for they were given no other option to subdue the violent and terrified drug addict. Now, Gordon Freeman beat the record of, 'Highest and most terrified person I have ever met.' The orange-clad man was crouching in front of a wall, switching his terrified gaze between him and Alyx and the doc and Calhoun. When Alyx had asked him what was wrong when he had dropped Calhoun, the guy started screaming in terror, before pulling out his crowbar. It reminded Adrian of a cornered animal.

Whatever had happened to him, Adrian needed to make sure neither of them was seriously injured. This topic had only been briefly mentioned in training, and when asked, the instructor had replied,

"If you see an ally under the influence of something that renders them hostile and unable to think clearly, knock them out as quickly as possible." Not an ideal solution, and Shephard had gathered from the whispers he had overheard that Freeman was an extremely capable fighter, and not to be underestimated. Hell, anyone brave or stupid enough to single-handedly siege a massive alien citadel, AND survive AND win, was definitely not easy to take down. Adrian held his hands in front of him, preparing for the difficult fight ahead of him.

"Freeman, calm down. Put down the crowbar." _At least he doesn't have the gun._ Freeman's eyes held no logical thought, yet he paused briefly, before flinching back and holding his head in his hands, moaning unintelligibly. Adrian looked over to Alyx, who looked as confused and as scared as he felt. Well, he wasn't scared about why Freeman had gone mental. Rather, for the unavoidable fight. He wasn't scared of fighting; it was just terrified people could be very vicious when fighting. Sergeant Halifax nearly lost an eye to a refugee in Iraq, because she was scared and thought he was coming to take her children and kill them.

"Vance," he looked over to Alyx.

"I'm going to need your help." She looked between him and Gordon, understanding entering her eyes.

"No. No. NO! You can't!" she exclaimed, eyes beginning to blaze with anger.

"Vance," he calmly stated, not taking his eyes off of Freeman,

"He isn't in his right mind, and the best way to help him is to knock him out quickly before he gets hurt or hurts someone. Besides-" Freeman suddenly stood up straight. His groans vanished and his eyes… _oh Christ._ His eyes had rolled into the back of his head. Adrian could see that he was still trembling, but everything else about him was mute. Cut off. Freeman's unseeing gaze focused itself on Adrian, and without any adieu, he shot towards him, much, MUCH faster than should have been humanly possible. Adrian stumbled back, his training taking over his movements and thoughts. _Need to back up, he's too close, where's my gun-no, wait-shit-_ Freeman's crowbar-wielding hand swung towards him, with the business end pointed towards his face. He stumbled backward, hand reaching for his wrench. THWIP. Quickly Freeman slapped a hand to his neck and pulled out a thin needle, studied it for a few moments, then lunged for Adrian before stumbling and falling on top of Adrian.

Being caught by surprise, he grunted as Freeman's dead weight collapsed on top of him, struggling not to fall to the cold ice. Just as suddenly as the needle, an explosive bang shot through the cave, immediately followed by a shrieking cry of pain and anger, so loud the cave itself shook from the force of it. It quickly stopped, and a low crackle of electricity buzzed through the tunnel. Then he heard someone speak.

"Damn. They're getting harder and harder to spot." Adrian's ears were still ringing from the amount of noise assaulting him, and it took a moment for him to realize what the person had said. Long enough for someone to grab Freeman and hoist him off of the young corporal. He drew in a huge gasp of air, coughed a couple of times, and looked up. A middle-aged man in heavy winter clothing holding a pistol stared back. He looked roughly Calhoun's age, maybe a little older. Adrian could see a medic's armband circling his arm. Looking up ahead, he saw two more people, a young man and a middle-aged woman staring back. The woman was holding a strange sort of gun, and it took a few seconds for the gears in Adrian's head to turn. _She must have tranquilized Freeman._ The young man was holding a rifle; smoke was still rising from the barrel. Adrian turned his gaze downward and saw one of the most horrifying creatures he had ever seen. It was mostly white and grey, with a hole going through the middle of it. It wasn't bleeding, except for a small splatter of blue-white fluid. Instead, electricity jumped and crackled over the entire thing. Especially where metal had replaced flesh and bone. The thing had three legs, made of metal. But the head…where eyes had once been, only metal was there, covering it like a grotesque mask. When Adrian refocused his horrified gaze, it was made apparent what the thing had been. _A raven,_ he thought with a shudder.

"Yes. The Drivers are everywhere around here. And they're still increasing." The older man said, his tone brisk and full of authority.

"Drivers?" Alyx asked shakily. The doctor replied,

"Yes. They drive you to insanity with enough exposure. You're lucky we heard the commotion so quickly. If he had remained under it's influence for another five minutes or so he would have been quickly on his way to insanity." Doctor Kliener suddenly spoke up.

"Will he be all right though? And we have another injured person who requires medical attention." This time the woman replied.

"Yeah, he'll be fine. Doc's patched up the people who have been caught by them plenty of times."

"Well, not plenty of times. Not enough to completely understand these new Nightmares," he replied.

"And we'll help your friend. Our new command post is right this way." He said as he pocketed his pistol and leaned down to turn Freeman over. When Freeman finally rolled over, the man let out a gasp, backing up unexpectedly. He tentatively asked,

"Gordon?" His sharp gaze threw itself to Alyx, who he assumed was the leader of the group.

"You have some explaining to do." She turned her hard gaze to him.

"And we will, once Barney and Gordon are ok. And how do you know him?" He didn't reply, instead hoisting up Freeman himself without any visible strain. The young man shouldered his rifle and jogged over to grab Calhoun. After a moments hesitation Adrian bent down to grab Calhoun's feet. The doc took a few steps towards the tunnel, then looked back, grimaced, and quickly said,

"The name's James Freeman. And we must go. The Combine will be looking further." And without another word he disappeared around the corner, followed closely by the woman who had pulled out a magnum. Adrian quickly tore his head to Alyx, who looked as confused and as startled as he felt. Then he hefted Calhoun.

"Let's go." And he began walking towards where the trio of people had disappeared. Alyx soon followed, confused and upset. Only Doctor Kliener remained where he was. _Oh dear._ He thought. _Gordon won't be happy about this._ And he set off towards the corner.

 **A/N I am so, so sorry. It has now been over a month, and I apologize for the long overdue chapter for taking so long to write. I hope I will do better for the next chapter, and I hope you guys understand. On a more positive note, a cover is now in the works! (Shoutout to Jee Zed of Mars). Also, for those of you who caught the slight easter egg, no, I** **don't own the name. It belongs to a certain morning breakfast choice who writes about apertures. It just feels like [redacted] could be a really good army drill sergeant. Anyway, trying not to steal, all rights belong to the creator, I have nothing but admiration for him, etc. Also, yes. Gordon has a brother. I wonder how they'll get along. Finally, try to guess where I got my inspiration for the new enemy. I think this will be pretty easy. Finally, again, I'm sorry about the late upload, I'll try to do better next time, and I'll see you all hopefully in a few weeks. Please R &R, and I hope you enjoyed. Best wishes!**

 **-RRS-15**


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